Monday, October 17, 2016

Ruined Monastery (day 5, part 2)

Among the other relics in the kobold's room, the heroes found a ruby. When they placed it in one of the depressions in the desecrated shrine's anvil, a wave of positive energy washed out form the altar, hitting everyone in the room and causing an unearthly dwarven choir to spring up from the darkness before fading away. All creatures in the room had their wounds healed and their morale heightened. A pair of creatures had taken up residence in this chamber and roosted on the ceiling above. The creatures waited until the entire group was inside the chamber before dropping down to strike. Just before the creatures dropped down to attack, the illumination in the room dropped one step. Each creature targeted a different foe, attempting to grapple as quickly as possible. The creatures were in their lair and fought to the death.

North of the desecrated shrine is a long hallway which ends with a ruined dwarven statue. The statue is smashed and barely recognizable as a dwarven monk. His stone hammer rests on the ground next to the shattered remains of his head.

The first door from the hallway leads to a small study that looks like it has been lived in recently. Gnawed bones litter the floor and tufts of gray fur can be seen here and there. An old stone desk sits in the center of the chamber, scratched and cracked in many places. The stench of wet fur hung heavy in the air. It was the den of a pair of wolves, the consorts of the large wolf in the adjoining chamber. The pair attacked as soon as they spotted intruders. They howled loudly so as to alert the large wolf in the adjoining chamber of intruders. The wolves singled out one opponent but were swiftly killed by the heroes. The desk is completely empty except for a few scraps of ancient parchment and an old quill. One of the drawers has a secret compartment, though, that the heroes found. Inside was a masterwork handaxe, a small pouch containing 100 pp, and a prayer book. The book is written in Dwarven and describes the worship of Droskar. A small note on the inside cover reads "Torag is no longer worthy of our devotion. Only Droskar can deliver us from the failings of King Garbold".

The adjoining ruined chamber has gaping holes in the roof that allow faint light to enter. One of the stone columns that once supported the ceiling is toppled, its broken pieces littering the floor. A thick patch of black mushrooms hides in the nearby corner, giving the room an earthy scent that was barely noticeable above the stench of wet fur. This chamber was the home of a large wolf who saw himself as the ruler of the ruins. He was a cunning foe that recognized the heroes as a serious threat the moment they entered. With his consorts wounded or dead, he was cautious in dealing with the intruders, His first act was to spring from hiding atop the ruined column, baring his teeth in an attempt to demoralize them. The heroes were unimpressed so he spoke, demanding to know why they had disturbed his rest. After a sorry attempt at diplomacy by Wrackomelor, Hrol lost his patience and attacked first. The large wolf singled out Wrackomelor in combat, targeting him. This was the large wolf's home and he fought to the death to protect it. Tucked behind the pillar were a few things of value hidden by him, including a bag with 354 gp, a masterwork light crossbow, a ceramic vial and a crystal wand. In the dark corner of the wood grew a small patch of ironbloom mushrooms, six in all.

The second door from the hallway leads to a small chamber dominated by old cobweb-covered racks and armor stands. What must have once been a well-tended armory is now devoid of arms and armor. A secret door is located on the northeaster corner of this room. Four masterwork bolts were underneath one of the racks.

The secret door swung open to reveal a short corridor with a wall of bars running down one side. Four rusted doors open in this wall into four cramped cells. The locks on the cell doors have rusted away, making them easy to open. While all of the cells contain the bones of long-dead dwarves, three of them were actually skeletons that rose up to attack the heroes as soon as they opened the last cell door. The skeletons moved to attack the nearest living creature. They used their claws and they were wearing leather aprons. They fought to the death. The only skeleton here that does not animate lies in a peaceful posture on its simple straw cot. On one of his hands was a simple golden ring with a large red gemstone in it that sparkles with an inner fire. Growing inside the skeleton's ribcage was a pair of ironbloom mushrooms.


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